‘The road to green steel is long, but we are not walking it alone’ – SIFW 2025

Published by:Zihuan Pan<>
28 May 2025 @ 11:32 UTC

Regional and global stakeholders must unite in the push for green steel, the secretary general of the South East Asia Iron & Steel Institute (SEASISI) told delegates at Singapore International Ferrous Week (SIFW) 2025.

The decarbonization of the steel industry demands collaboration, investment and aligned ambitions, Yeoh Wee Jin said at the conference on Wednesday May 28.
The road to green steel is long but we are not walking it alone, he said at the Singapore Green Steel Forum at the SIFW event.
Yeoh highlighted the urgent need for a sustainable transformation in steelmaking, a sector that is responsible for around 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
The iron and steel sector directly accounts for around 2.6 gigatons per year of carbon dioxide emissions, representing about 7% of global energy system emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.
Yeoh named six key pillars to the transition to green steel:
•Market development: The SEASISI urged governments to adopt green procurement policies and called on major buyers in automotive, construction and manufacturing to create demand for low-emission steel. It also called for incentives and standards to support and drive the market.
• Infrastructure readiness: The SEASISI highlighted the need for region-wide carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) networks, renewable power grids and green hydrogen hubs.
• Technological breakthroughs: Steelmakers should embrace innovation, such as hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) electric arc furnaces (EAF), carbon capture retrofits and process electrification.
• Green and transition finance: The institute called on financial institutions to provide accessible, affordable financing solutions to support pioneering and transitional efforts on the path to decarbonization.
• Smart and fair policy: Policy frameworks must include carbon pricing, carbon border adjustments and trade defence tools to ensure fair competition and incentivise emissions reduction initiatives.
• Sustainable raw materials: A shift toward clean raw material supply chains is required, with investment needed not just in ferrous scrap but also in DRI production hubs and beneficiation and upgrading of ores.
This [green] transition will be won through cooperation, knowledge exchange and regional alignment, Yeoh said.